Those who know me are aware that I am motivated by streaks. Currently, I’m on a 93-day streak with the Bend stretching app and a 1,027-day streak of closing my Apple Watch rings. Unfortunately, I missed participating in last year’s votes for Jane Hart’s Top 100 Tools for Learning, but I still shared my top…
The development of vaccines for cancer and malaria by a team including Ed Doherty, F. Stephen Hodi, David Mooney, and Jerome Ritz showcases the power of collaboration and the non-linear path of innovation. Doherty, co-founder of Attivare Therapeutics, a startup from Harvard labs, humorously remarked, “It’s going to kill me, but it’s the best thing…
Jeffrey Smith, a dermatologist, is seeking investor advice at Harvard’s “Guppy Tank” for a new drug aimed at increasing protective melanin in the skin. This drug could improve life for those highly sensitive to sunlight, like porphyria patients who suffer burns quickly. Smith, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and dermatologist at Brigham and…
Hydrogen is frequently called “the fuel of the future” and is anticipated to aid in decarbonizing the global economy. Burning hydrogen or using it in a fuel cell generates energy without carbon emissions, only water. It can substitute fossil fuels or serve as a chemical feedstock in difficult-to-decarbonize industrial processes like steel and cement production….
Traditionally, black holes have been understood to form from the remnants of dying stars. As a massive star reaches the end of its life, it explodes in a supernova, leaving behind a dense core that becomes a black hole. However, recent findings from gravitational-wave detectors suggest that some black holes may not originate from stars…
In the current era, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude are capable of various tasks such as drafting emails and organizing travel. These chatbots utilize large vision-language models (VLMs), which are AI systems trained on extensive datasets comprising books, websites, code, and images. The AI algorithms are further refined using vast amounts of human feedback…
When navigating an unfamiliar room in the dark, humans may fumble around to gauge their surroundings. In contrast, many animals, like mice, can move efficiently in darkness by using their whiskers to feel walls and obstacles. Fan Wang, a brain and cognitive sciences professor at MIT and a McGovern Institute for Brain Research investigator, has…
Karen Korellis Reuther, a seasoned design professional with over four decades of experience, highlights the male-centric nature of product design. Formerly an executive at Reebok and Nike, Reuther has witnessed how design predominantly caters to men. Her latest book, “MAN-MADE: How We Designed a World That Leaves Women Out, and How We Can Make It…
Rowan Jacobsen, photographed by Chris Hartlove, challenges the common perception of sunlight as a health threat. His new book argues that for most individuals, the benefits of daily sunlight exposure surpass the associated risks. Jacobsen, an acclaimed science writer, discussed the findings from his book “In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure”…
Next-generation batteries utilizing new electrolyte materials could potentially offer much higher energy density compared to current lithium-ion batteries, while addressing many safety issues. However, advanced batteries with solid or nearly solid electrolytes often face challenges due to the formation of lithium metal spikes known as dendrites, which reduce efficiency and lead to failure. The precise…
